Live Fast and Die Beautiful

Thursday 15I’d say you got to go see Los Angelino psych-folk ensemble Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeroes up at Belly Up, but the show’s done sold out. I guess you could go stand on Cedros and look all doe-eyed. And flush. It’d cost you.... In the stead, Fred, a couple of heavyweight indie acts are coming to Casbah in U.K. duo Big Pink and New York noiseniks A Place to Bury Strangers. Big Pink rocks hook-heavy electro-noize on their NME award–winning Brief History of Love. The Strangers’ s/t debut sounds like J&MC’s Ritalin script ran out. Last year’s follow-up, Exploding Head, threatens to become a shoegaze staple. L.A.’s Io Echo will reverb first.... Else: SD’s honky-tonkin’ supergroup Brawley will be at Bar Pink...Portland barroom blazers Prize Country and like-minded locals Long and Short of It rock-roll through Ruby Room...and indie kids the Fascination, the Publicists, and Vinyl Film screen at the Ken Club.

Friday 16Those of you heading out to Coachella today can skip to Monday.... The rest of you: The Bermondsey Joyriders (“A band ain’t a band unless their name begins with ‘the’”) roll into Radio Room with the Jet Kill Radio, theHillstreet Stranglers, and theDivergent. The Joyriders are a U.K.-based trio that have been dressing down Brit punk with American blues riffage à la New York Dolls since 1976. Here’s history, kids. Take a taste at their Space: myspace.com/thebermondseyjoyridersofficial.... Staying on the punk tip, you got Simi-ans Strung Out at Soma and hometown hardcores Rat City Riot at the Ken.... Downtown, it’ll be pop-tastic big band Get Back Loretta at Casbah...and Anthology stages Pink Floyd tribute Floyd-FX, “a multimedia experience of lasers, video, and live entertainment that captures the magic blah blah blah”.... Uptowners, farmers’ market faves Shawn Rohlf and his 7th Day Buskers play a CD-release at Whistle Stop...”alterna-delic pop” peeps Incomplete Neighbor move in the Beauty Bar with Don’t Bore Nina and Eclipse 79...and Goodwick drops their debut disc at Soda Bar with T.S. Brooks (Berlin) and local trio Roxy Jones for a full feed of acousti-pop fare.

Saturday 17Saturday night in town sees Swedish five-piece Love Is All come to Casbah right behind their latest crit hit Two Thousand and Ten Injuries, a ruminating nu-waver that’d do John Hughes just fine. And — AND — G.O.P.’s Dee Dee has a homecoming of sorts as her new do, Dum Dum Girls, will set the stage behind their fuzzed-out throwback girl-group debut I Will Be. The “gritty...bubblegum” collection culled an 8.2 from the Fork, just missing a Best New Music rate for, I’m guessing, its sugar-free aftertaste?... When that sells out, which it will by the time your eyes reach HERE, Soda Bar sets up a tasty garage-pop triple bill with U.K. quintet the Moons, Long Beach folk-rockers Paperplanes, and our own Grandaddy, Grampadrew.... Aaaaand, the hard-rocking Family Wagon rolls into the Ken...Trip to Dover lands at Ruby Room to pile onto the alt-rock load from Midnight Rivals, Lessons from Zeke, For Days, and Silent Lune...and the San Diego Rock Reunion convenes at 4th&B, featuring ‘80s hairspray-and-Spandex band Assassin. Flip to Dave Good’s Blurt on that one fo’ mo’ ‘fo.

Sunday 18Sunday’s the hands-down best day to stray to Coachella if you get a wild hair across it. Skimming cream: Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Thom Yorke, King Khan, Deerhunter — sheeeit, did we miss the boat.... So, “live fast and die beautiful” with L.A. glam band Triple Cobra at Bar Pink...or catch up with crooner Tony Bennett at Pala Casino.

Monday 19Aussie act Temper Trap’s a singles machine tapping into every media market there is. The alt-pop group’s playing a 94/9 It’s About the Music thang, but déjà freaking vu, that Belly Up show’s sold out, too.... But, hey, upthataway, Ché Café has gnomes in the bathroom, Wolves in the Throne Room, Earth, and Lori Goldston filling a hella live bill. If you’re into glacial black metal, you got to get with Olympia, WA’s Wolves. Check out last year’s Black Cascade for a preview.... British blues-rock guitarist with the mad mad skills Jeff Beck will wow ‘em down at 4th&B. He’s out to tout this year’s Emotion and Commotion.... And alsos: Anti-Mondayers found a free Foo, as Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders join Dio Malos down at Casbah...but if you just feel like playing video games, geeky, hit up the Soda Bar’s rock ‘em sock ‘em Street Fighter 2 tourney.

Tuesday 20It’s gonna be a greezy, tatty Tuesday at Brick by Brick, as the Bay Park bar fills a psychobilly bill with Detroit trio Koffin Kats and like-minded locals the Embalmers, Hard Fall Hearts, and the Frighteners. If you want to keep the duck slick on a night like this, it’s gotta be Dapper Dan, man.

Wednesday 21Gig to get to hump night is Canuck punk duo Japandroids. Their ‘09 Polyvinyl debut Post-Nothing posted to most indie crits’ top-ten lists. That record’s “Young Hearts Spark Fire” and “Wet Hair” packed one potent garage-punk one-two punch, iPodders. The ‘Droids play Casbah with the comparatively easy-listening Avi Buffalo and Meseta.... Udderwise: 17-time(!) Grammy-winning guitarist and composer Pat Metheny brings his Orchestrion down to Spreckels. (All the techies and gearheads just got chubbers).... Alt-pop trio Marcy Playground (“Sex and Candy”) swings into Brick by Brick with Faking Genius and Monday’s Alibi.... Country outlaw and Pantera collaborator David Allan Coe (“Take This Job and Shove It”) defies the Hells Angels’ hold on SD to play Ramona Mainstage for what promises to be a surefire shit-kicker. Can I say that on TV?— Barnaby Monk

Comments

"Soda Bar sets up a tasty garage-pop triple bill with U.K. quintet the Moons,". What a great surprise finding out that this great band were playing the soda bar. Unfortuneatley, they didn't and never were playing there. "The Moons" were some crappy local band. Thanks for that! Please get your facts right in future.